


Boundless

by Shimegami



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, I Don't Even Know, M/M, Water spirit!Haru, what am I writing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-09
Updated: 2013-10-07
Packaged: 2017-12-26 02:56:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/960762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shimegami/pseuds/Shimegami
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haruka, a wandering water god, just wants to find a stretch of water to settle in and call home - preferably one big enough that the humans can't erase.  He finds an ideal site in the gentle harbor of Iwatobi, recently vacated by its original god some human years ago, but a big stretch of ocean is more than his power can handle for the moment, and an aggressive god named Rin is already trying to beat him to it.  He'll need followers to gain that kind of power, and to get followers, he needs a Priest.  He finds an ideal one in Tachibana Makoto, a gentle human and captain of the swim club that uses the pool Haru decides to bunk in until he has enough power to move to the ocean.  Now, if he could only convince the green-eyed human that he's not a ghost trying to drown him, things would go better.</p>
<p>AKA the AU where Haru's a god and is trying to beat that stupid red-haired shark spirit to settling into the ocean and regularly scares the bejeezus out of Makoto by popping out of his school pool like Sadako.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> My first original Free! work that's not a kink meme fill, yay! :D I don't know, this just popped into my head and wouldn't let go.
> 
> Loosely-based on Noragami, if you've read that. Basically I took the idea of gods needing followers to settle into a permanent home and ran with it.
> 
> Also, Haru and Rin being rival water gods amuses me more than it should.

The old ways taught that there were gods in everything.

The trees, the rocks, the flowers, the water. Everything in the vast world had a spirit, a guardian, a god. These gods watched over everything in their purview, causing the land to flourish or wither as they saw fit. Some ignored humans, some watched over them like benevolent parents, some resented and hunted them from their lands. Gods came in all shapes and forms, some like animals, some like plants, some like the very humans they cherished or hated.

But there was one thing all gods had in common, and that was the fact that belief from humans strengthened them and allowed them to hold more and more land.

Times changed. Time flowed around the gods, but as they sat unchanging the world did not stay static with them. Gods may have tremendous powers, but they were regulated by their own natures. A flower spirit cannot call a firestorm. A rock spirit cannot call the winds.

Humans, however, were not restricted by such boundaries. They flattened mountains, drained lakes, razed forests, and yet could remake all these things again as they pleased. And humans grew in life and knowledge, so did their power over the land. The gods were not all-powerful anymore, and as they lost power, so they lost believers.

Some indeed had grown too old and weak to be sustained without belief and withered away. However, gods too could adapt if pressed severely. Most gods, after all, were naturally born with enough power to at least sustain themselves, and it was only through extreme lack of will or extreme old age that this power failed, as above all gods were taught from birth to believe in themselves. Believe in your own power, and it will not fade. It would not grant a god any power to make miracles, but it at least allowed them to live without a home, a shrine, or even any followers.

Many gods became like this. Wanderers, free spirits, passing through the human world and blessing or cursing as they could with the power they had. Permanent homes were rare and always at the whim of human influence, so those gods that retained their homes guarded them jealously. After all, a pristine forest may be chopped down in a day, a clear lake may become too polluted for gods in a decade, so a home was to be treasured, since it may be destroyed at any time.

Some gods resented humans all the more for this, but most merely moved about them and adapted. If the humans were not aware of them, then they could hardly blame them for doing such things. A fire god does not care about the grass he burns or the creatures he kills in his path, for it is not in his capacity to be aware of them, and so as more and more humans became unaware of the gods, they too became uncaring of their homes and unable to see them.

It was into this transient world, where most gods were but wandering spirits, that Haruka was born.

Gods can create children, although it takes much of their power and thus only happened maybe once or twice in a god's lifespan. Haruka's parent was a god of a large lake who had managed to retain his home due to human tradition. He was still fairly strong as gods go, and so he'd had the power to spare to create a child. An event which was rarer and rarer every generation.

Haruka was a water spirit to the core from the very beginning. Everything about water delighted him, from the placid waters of his father's lake to the raging sea to the burbling brooks. Even human bathtubs and tanks held pleasure for him. He spent most of his childhood playing happily on the shore's of his father's lake.

Still, one home cannot support more than one god, even if they are family, and as Haruka matured into adulthood, he had no choice but set out on the wandering path of most gods. It was not an easy life. Water spirits were especially hard-hit by humans, as most wilted at the slightest pollution, but Haruka was different, Strong-willed from the beginning, his belief in himself was stronger than most, and he loved water enough to learn to accept the pollution. It did not sting him, and chlorine did not burn. He was more free than most, for anything from a fish tank to a pool to the ocean he could take a quick dip in to recharge his powers without ill effect. Human influence had little effect on him.

However, Haruka did not like the wandering life. Being born to a homed god, he had grown up with that security and he dearly missed it. He wanted nothing more than to claim a stretch of water as his own home, establish a secure place he wouldn't have to move from unless the humans erased it. That meant he needed a fairly large home, like the lake of his father, but claiming such a large expanse would require an equal amount of power. Despite his strength of will, Haruka didn't have such power.

There was only one way to acquire such power. He would have to gather followers.

It was a nigh-impossible mission. In this age of human science, barely anyone believed in gods anymore, and even less had the open-minded innocence and willingness to believe to see them. Haruka's goal was nigh impossible.

But it was not _completely_ impossible, and Haruka's own stubbornness was an asset here. His determination did not falter as he searched for a proper home and someone who could see him, someone who could increase his power. Even just one believer would double his current powers.

And so, it was with this goal in mind as Haruka, after a timeless period of wandering as a ghost through humans, drifted into the little seaside town of Iwatobi.


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruka arrives in Iwatobi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooooo new chapter! :D Juggling several projects is fun lol only not.

Haruka slides off the top of the train as it grinds to a halt and breathes deeply. So this is Iwatobi.

It feels...empty. Open. It's surprising. Most towns like this, not yet swallowed by urbanity, have at least one powerful god. The smaller towns that are still clinging to the old ways support their kind better.

But the sea breeze that blows through the train platform carries no hints of power, no tang of spirituality. He can only feel the echoes of smaller gods, spirits that live in flower pots and teacups and nothing substantial. Maybe Iwatobi held more powerful beings in the past, but there's none here now.

Haruka almost can't believe his luck.

He's been searching for so long. He can't even remember the amount of human years that have passed, but it's a long time for them. He's a god, however, and only old enough to be considered an upstart. A teenager, in human terms. Every place with a decent body of water he'd found was already ruled by another god, or too close to another god, or too weak in power to sustain him long-term. Haruka may be more tolerant of humans and their ways than most, but even he has standards.

But here, in this small seaside town, he might have a chance. The bay the town is wrapped around sparkles brilliant blue in the sun, and is completely devoid of presence. It's clean, clear, perfect for a home.

The only problem is that it's a little too big. He's a spirit of rivers, lakes, streams, and he wasn't born with taming a stretch of ocean in mind. Haruka doesn't have the kind of power needed to purify it and settle in, he'd drain himself and fizzle out into so many little bubbles if he tried right now.

If he wants a home, he's going to have to work for it.

Haruka starts moving through the small town. The train platform is almost completely deserted, but it's not small and dilapidated. He learns that this is representative of Iwatobi as a whole, modernity settling side by side with its quaint feel. He walks through narrows streets lined with traditional houses, passes by shrines that have long been abandoned by the gods but not the humans. Another sign of failing to adapt. Humans pass by him through the streets, a little old woman here, a group of two to three teenagers there. A city that is not really growing, but isn't declining either. It has a peaceful, balanced feeling. Haruka decides he likes it.

He finds himself at the seashore, and breathes in the air deeply. The salt has a cleansing, refreshing feeling, and his fingers tingle. He wants to swim in it.

But before he can put a toe into the gentle waves lapping at the sand, a sharp tang of magic fills the air and voice growls. “ _Hey_. Who the fuck are you?”

Someone can see him, talk to him. The static in the air means another god, and not a minor one at that. Haruka isn't sure how he missed this, he was so sure that no one powerful enough to challenge him had been in this town. Was he mistaken? Was this bay actually a home?

He turns towards the voice. There, standing behind him with his arms crossed and a fierce scowl on his face, is another god.

He looks maybe Haruka's age, but that can be deceiving in a race as long-lived as they are. Red eyes stare challenging out at Haruka, framed by long red bangs the same color, and a sneer reveals sharp serrated teeth. A real sea-spirit, a shark, rather than the freshwater Haruka was born into, though it's very rare for them to adopt human form so he's a little surprised.

Tension, both mental and magical, snaps into the air. “This is _my_ home, you intruder. Go away.”

If the magic hadn't risen, if Haruka hadn't tasted the power, he might have obeyed. A sea spirit would obviously belong here more than Haruka, and maybe he had just been unable to sense his presence. Maybe he had been too eager to settle that he hadn't fully let his senses search.

But the magic tells him otherwise. It only comes from the physical form on the beach. It's power is only a little greater than Haruka's own – enough to probably win in a fight, but it would exhaust the strange spirit so he's relying on bluff. The ocean doesn't respond to the rise of the power. Whoever this god is, the sea isn't his home yet.

And Haruka was never a big believer in “finders keepers” anyways. He narrows his eyes at the other spirit.

“No.”

Red eyes widen, before narrowing into a fierce glare, and he pulls back his lips into a snarl, revealing that his whole mouth is full of those sharp daggers. “Who the fuck do you think you are? I was here first!”

“But it's not really yours yet.” Haruka replies placidly. If this stranger is the aggressive rush of rapids and waves, then Haruka is the deep immovable lake. His father always used to say that Haruka's deep stubbornness was both a strength and fault. “So it's still open.”

“Not for long, it isn't. I've already got a priestess, so it's just a matter of time. I bet you don't even have a single believer, you're just a wandering thief, looking to steal my home. This was my father's place before me, so it's going to be mine, and I'll defend it to the death from stragglers like you!” The magic rises again, static goosebumps against Haruka's skin, but the words surprisingly make him more confident.

If this one is only slightly more powerful than Haruka because he's managed to find one follower, then that means his base power is below Haruka's. If Haruka can gain just a single follower, he'd be ahead. He files away the knowledge that there had been a former god here, one that had created the one standing before him, but it doesn't bother him. Family lines mean nothing when it comes to these things.

No, what really matters is that Haruka just has to find one follower, a priest, and then he'll be the more powerful one. He'll be one step closer to having a home. The only thing in his way is this shark spirit, but Haruka can't bother with him now. If they fight now, Haruka might not win. He's a clever fighter, but the chances aren't that good, and he's too close to his goal to risk being driven off or destroyed.

One universal thing about water-type spirits was that they were fairly competitive. Not in the fierce, burning way of fire, but a steady, stubborn, insistent pushing to best each other. And sea spirits were perhaps the most competitive of all. Haruka hatches a quick plan.

“A month,” He says, face as placid as ever but his eyes shine a little as confusion passes over the redhead's face. Of course, Haruka is no exception to that competitive spirit, his face just hides it better. “If you can get more followers than me in a month, I'll leave, since it will be proof you deserve this place. But if I win, it will be mine.”

The shark snarls again. “You really think some stupid bet will keep me from kicking your sorry ass?”

Haruka just shrugs. “If this place is yours, then it really shouldn't matter, right? You'd be able to beat me easily. Unless you think that you can't.”

Those blood-red eyes narrow again, and Haruka knows that he's won. He resists the urge to smile a bit in satisfaction. The other spirit hisses. “If you think you've won this, you're wrong. I'll show you who belongs here, you _wanderer_.”

With that, he's suddenly gone, the tang of spiritual power suddenly vanishing. It's always a strange vacuum-like feeling. But it tells Haruka that his home really isn't the sea, he's got a temporary stretch of water elsewhere.

He nods to himself. If he's going to be looking for followers, he needs one of those too. And now that a bet, a sacred competition has been sprung between them, he knows that he won't be attacked. It would be breaking the rules.

Closing his eyes, Haruka summons his own magic and jumps. He loves flying almost as much as swimming, because it's basically swimming in the air, only missing the cool feeling of his element moving around him, through him. It's also a very fast method of transport.

He floats over the city, doing idle circles and flips in the air as he sends his senses out. He closes his eyes, lets the earth speak to him. Every body of water larger than a cup calls out to him. He feels them in his senses, his mind, as little tingling spots of light. The sea is almost blinding, he tunes it out. Not yet, he needs more power first. There's so much water in this city, he feels more relaxed than he has since he left his father's lake.

There.

He feels a fairly large body of water, one of several in the city but this one is closest and is unoccupied. The teleportation spell briefly flicks into his mind and he's suddenly hovering above the water source.

It's a swimming pool, which makes sense about why it's unoccupied. Not a lot of water spirits have yet learned to tolerate chlorine, their loss. It wouldn't be all that special, but as soon as he takes in a breath, he's suddenly surprised.

This place is _pure_.

It's not a god's work. No god lives here, and no passing god would bother with blessing a human-made, chemical-saturated puddle. It's also not strong enough to be a god – it's enough to ward away evil and minor spirits, but to him it's just like being in a freshly-cleaned room. Not sterilized, but still pleasant.

A human did this.

Haruka slowly walks around the perimeter of the pool, letting the natural energies of the place flow through him. It's not a complete purification, no human has that sort of spiritual power, but it's as close as it can get. For a moment he thinks that maybe he's found where the shark spirit or his priestess live, but no, there's no salt-spice-red tang of that god's power. The shark spirit doesn't live here, doesn't actually live close, he can't sense him from where he is. Whoever did this is unaffiliated with him.

The work is also sloppy, no god would allow their priest to do such half-assed work. No one with any training would do this.

Which means it's probably unconscious. A human with potential unconsciously did this.

Haruka feels a little smile curve his lips. This is surprisingly lucky. It's almost as if this little town was made for Haruka. A large stretch of unclaimed pristine bay, a human with enough natural spiritual power to be a priest that's also unclaimed. It's as if fate _wants_ Haruka here.

He's not about to turn fate down. There are no coincidences, all gods are taught this. There are only things that are meant to happen. Haruka finding this pool was meant to be and thus he and its cleanser are, therefore, also meant to meet.

Decided, he jumps into the clear cold water of the pool. The tingling sensation of pure water mixes with the not-unpleasant tang of chlorine and he makes a soft sound of pleasure, closing his eyes and releasing himself. His physical body dissolves, bubbles, he _is_ the water now. He sends his power out, letting the green-painted fence form a boundary as he cleans up the corners and finishes the purifying job. The remaining tingles of spirituality are recent, this is a place the human must frequent.

Feeling a deep sense of calm come over him now that he has a temporary residence, Haruka lets himself drift into the meditative rest of his kind to regain the energy he's spent that day. Night is falling, the human probably won't be back today, so Haruka just has to wait.

He will meet them eventually. He's a god, his patience spans centuries. A day or two is nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo yep. Rin appeared, yey rivalry lol. Next chapter will be from a different POV and will get the plot moving more. It will also bring in the human side of things.
> 
> Haruka-as-a-god is weird to write.
> 
> I don't know what I'm typing anymore. ):

**Author's Note:**

> I am completely open to pairings besides the Haru/Mako that's gonna happen, and I've only decided the roles for Haru, Makoto, Nagisa, Rin, and Gou. You're welcome to leave suggestions for pairings/character roles if you'd like in the comments - if they intrigue me, I might use them. <3
> 
> Also this is probably gonna be slow until I fulfill my other two longfic obligations on the kink meme, heh. Just the prologue and first two chapters have been planned out so far. Once I finish the other two fics this will go faster.
> 
> I write weird thiiinnnggsss -runs into the sunset-


End file.
